Category Archives: Observations

Whitemud Ravine with Tom

The return of Tom (to Whitemud Ravine)

What a gorgeous day after yesterday’s rain! Afternoon walk with Tom in Whitemud Ravine south (and parts of north). It’s been a long time since we walked along this trail together. I’ve walked solo a few times in the last year, and a bunch of times with Sharon and Stella, but not Tom. The trail has lots of slippery ups and downs and he doesn’t have microspikes (well, he does, but won’t wear them), so that leaves winter out. The other issue is that the trail is deceptive. We like to get at least 10,000 steps and walking Whitemud Ravine south from one end to the other, with its rolling hills, seems like you’ve put it a lot of steps because it’s a bit of a workout, but it’s only about 8,500. You have to walk into Whitemud Ravine north across the Snow Valley parking lot to get 10,000+ steps. Whatever, it’s a great walk. One of my absolute favourites.

The creek is running high again
From the boardwalk
The difference a few weeks and some rain can make
Whitemud Ravine North ‘hoodoo’
The ‘weird’ bridge over the creek in Whitemud Ravine North
Not sure why this dandelion seed photographed blue

Great to see the creek running high. No mosquitoes yet, at least not mid-afternoon. The wild roses are everywhere. About 90 minutes, 11,476 steps.

Dark Clouds, No Rain

The city under cloud

Well, in spite of being followed by these dark, rumbly clouds, we got our full walk in, with just a few drops in the last five minutes. We even saw some pelicans flying above our heads, but the photo was ‘inconclusive’ (bad).

A closer view
From MacKinnon Ravine

In the end it didn’t even rain, at least not in Glenora or Oliver.

16C, 11596 steps.

The Glenora Fountain Flows Again!

The fountain is fountaining!

Very happy to see the Alexander Circle fountain in Glenora is back on this year! In 2020, with the city shut down and the economy devastated from Covid, very few if none of the public fountains were running. Not sure I agreed with that since the outside was all we had, but whatever, it’s back on!

View o’er MacKinnon Bridge

It was a beautiful and ludicrously green walk with Tom in and around Glenora and Ravine Drive. I guess if there is one benefit to being laid off, it’s the loads of time it affords me to walk whenever I want.

This place has really gone to seed…

About 20C. 11,483 steps.

https://www.facebook.com/100003321575267/videos/pcb.4448225171964825/4448224751964867

Rossdale: the Eve of Infestation

The little historical shack near the bridge in the river valley (near Kinsmen)

First time since Joanne’s birthday in February that I’ve been in Rossdale, and the last time until July. Although it’s still early, I did spot a few small leaf roller caterpillars, or as I call them $&?@! worms (see this post), just as we entered the trail. The caterpillars, endemic to the Ash trees in Rossdale and the lower university area, will soon swing by the hundreds on their devil strings killing the leaves and tormenting humans until the end of June, so yeah, that’s a nope.

Walt Jr. on the way to Rossdale
As close as we could get. By this point, I’d seen two worms…
Some friends for the magpie

Gorgeous day though. We started at 9 a.m. to avoid the heat, but it was still hot. Next week when it gets really hot we’ll go even earlier. Along the Victoria Park Road lower trail, a young snowshoe hare with giant clown feet let me get pretty close for a photo, which was awfully nice of him. I’m seeing more of these smaller rabbits lately, as opposed to the larger jackrabbits. They could almost be mistaken for domestic bunnies, if not for their comically large feet.

My what large feet you have…

15,166 steps! 15C to 24C.

Our (almost) Daily Walk

Glenora/Ravine Drive

Colourful walk yesterday with Tom, along our usual route. This is our most common walk, starting in Glenora and ending on 142 Street close to Laurier Heights, with a long stretch along beautiful Ravine Drive. It clocks in just under two hours, and around 13,000 steps. It can be repetitive, but it’s always beautiful. We mix it up by walking down into MacKinnon Ravine sometimes, but generally, it’s just a good, dependable walk.

Along Ravine Drive

Today we saw pelicans flying in V formation in the sky, but I wasn’t quick enough to snap a photo, so I relied on the usual spring suspects: dandelions and lilacs.

Windy and cool(ish). 14C.

Fort Edmonton Trail in the Spring

Fort Edmonton footbridge

Beautiful walk this afternoon along the Fort Edmonton/Terwillegar trails, featuring two of the city’s newish footbridges. It’s a beautiful walk, although the foliage is not quite there yet. Last year when I walked on this particular trail for the first time with Sharon and Stella, it was a revelation. We are so lucky in this city to have such beautiful, diverse trails.

The river, from the bridge
Woohoo!

About half way along the trail, we ran across a tree decorated with Oilers gear. The playoffs are about to start. Let’s go Oilers! Addendum: they were swept in the first round 🙁

Terwillegar footbridge, looking in the direction of the dog park

Sunny, about 12C. A slow but steady recovery from the $&!?@! mini cold-snap. 14,024 steps.

Park patrol